Liquid tester



June 4, 1968 P. D woRcRoss 3,386,289

LIQUID TESTER Filed June 16, 1964 I N VENT OR. 2101 3 A/ozaeos's' UnitedStates Patent 3,386,289 LIQUID TESTER Paul D. Nor-cross, 1811 W. WarnerAve., Chicago, ll]. 60613 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.217,417, Aug. 16, 1962. This application June 16, 1964, Ser. No. 375,554

1 Claim. (Cl. 73-440) This invention relates to a portable, pocket sizedapparatus for testing the specific gravity of a liquid, such as testingthe alcoholic content of a cocktail or the nature of the acid in abattery.

This application constitutes a continuation in part of applicants priorco-pending application filed Aug. 16, 1962, SN. 217,417 and entitledPocket Sized Battery Tester, now abandoned.

Apparatus for testing specific gravity of liquids have been heretoforeknown and :have primarily been used in connection with testing ofbattery acid, testing the antifreeze in engine radiators, and the like.Suc'h prior testers have had many distinct disadvantages, and one of theprimary disadvantages of previous testers has been the delicacy of suchapparatus and the propensity of certain parts thereof to be broken. Itwill be understood that the stem portion of a battery tester and of mostradiator 'coolent testing devices are constructed of glass, and in thebase of battery testing devices, the stem portion is necessarilyconstructed of glass so as to be acid resisting. The stems of suchdevices are transparent in order to permit the mechanic to see throughthe stem and see the actual liquid in the tester and the sensing andindicating apparatus therein for indicating the specific gravity of theliquid being tested.

The foregoing also applies to devices of this type utilized to sense andindicate the alcoholic content of a beverage or cocktail.

-In connection with all of such devices, there has been a problem inconnection with the storing of these apparatus or devices between usesthereof. Because of the glass nature of the stem, the devices aresubject to breakage and particularly where the device is stored in atool box, or in a tool drawer or maybe carried in a pocket of a personsclothing.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus ofsimple and inexpensive construction and operation for testing thespecific gravity of a liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel apparatusfor testing the specific gravity of a liquid and which may be readilyand easily carried in a tool box or tool drawer or maybe carried in onespocket without fear that the apparatus will be broken or will spill theliquid being tested or having been tested into the tool kit or pocket.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the testing device in explodedcondition.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the apparatus shown assembledin condition for convenient and proper storage.

FIG. 3 is a detail cross section view taken approximately at 3--3 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a detail elevation view showing a portion of the bulb and tubedisassembled from the cap.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawings and is describedherein. The apparatus or device for test- "ice ing the specific gravityof a liquid is indicated in general by numeral 10 and includes anelongate glass tube 11 having a reduced lower or forward end 12 and aslightly flared upper or rear end 13 upon which is applied a rubber bulb14 which has a resiliently compressible open front end 15 whichencompasses the rear end 13 of the tube 11 and extends forwardly therealong. The open end 15 of the bulb engages the tube 11 in sealedrelation so that the interior of the bulb 14 and the interior of tube 11are in fluid communicating relation with each other. It will be notedparticularly in FIG. 4, that the bulb 14 has an outwardly protruding andflexible flange or bead 15a formed integrally thereof.

The tube 11 has a plurality of small plastic balls 16 therein which havespecific gravities which vary slightly in relation to each other and ofa magnitude in relation to the nature of the liquid to be tested. Forinstance, if the device 10 is to be used in connection with the sensingand indicating the alcoholic content of a cocktail, such as a martini,the balls 16 will have specific gravities in a certain range; and if thedevice 10 is to be used for testing battery fluid of a wet cell battery,the balls 16 will have a specific gravity in a different range. Theballs 16 are also variously colored so that their presence and locationcan be readily determined. The specific gravities of the balls 16 varyslightly with respect to each other such that, in the case of analcoholic beverage tester, if all of the balls float this will indicatethat the beverage has only a minimum amount of alcohol in it (or wouldindicate a weak martini); if one of the balls sinks to the bottom of theliquid contained in the tube 11 and the other two balls float, thenthere is a normal amount of alcoholic content in the beverage (such as aregular martini); and if two of the balls sink to the bottom while onlyone floats, this indicates that the alcoholic content is substantiallymore than normal (such as in a dry martini) and if all three of theballs 16 sink to the bottom of the liquid contained in the tube 11, thisis an indication that the beverage has more than a normal amount ofalcoholic content in it (such as an extra dry martini).

The upper end of tube 11 has an obstruction 17 therein to preventpassage of the balls 16 upwardly into the bulb 14. In the form shown,the obstruction 17 comprises a small annular grommet with a peripheralgroove or passage 17a of sufiicient size as to readily permit passage ofair and liquid therethrough so as to maintain the interior or bulb 14and tube 11 in the fluid communication with each other.

The tube 11 also has an obstruction 18 formed at th upper end of thereduced lower end 12 and the obstruction 18 is formed by producing apair of dimples 19 in opposite sides of the tube so that the lower mostball in the tube 11 will be supported only at two spaced points on itsperiphery and so that liquid or air may freely pass by the lowest balland communicate between the lower and intermediate portions of tube 11.

The device 10 also includes an elongate cap 20 having a closed lower end21 and an open upper end 22 in which the tube 11 and the open end 15 ofbulb 14 is receivable. It Will be noted in FIG. 2 that the tube 11 iscentered within the elongate cap 20 by the open end of the bulb 15 whichsurrounds the portion 13 of tube 11. It will further be noted that theopen portion 15 of the bulb 14 is resiliently compressed as it isinserted into the open end 22 of the cap 20, and the head or flange 15ais compressibly and resiliently deformed so as to seal against theinterior periphery of the cap 22.

The cap 20 is formed of any stiff and impact resistant material, and oneexample of such material is a heavy grade and relatively stilt grade ofpolyethylene plastic material. The material of the cap 20 mustnecessarily resist the action of any liquid that the device is designedto test, and in the event that the device is designed to test andindicate the specific gravity of a battery acid, the ball 16, will ofcourse be of such a nature as to indicate whether the acid has theproper strength or not, depending on which of the balls is caused tofloat when the acid is tested. Likewise the material of cap 20 must beresistant to the acid material so that it will not be eaten away orotherwise damaged by the liquid.

When the bulb 14 is inserted into the cap 20, there is a compression ofthe open peripheral end portion 15 of the cap and a substantiallysimultaneous deformation of the bead or flange 15a so that a sealingrelationship is created between the peripheral portion of the bulb 14and the open end 22 of the cap 20. It will be understood that as thebulb 14 is manually gripped, it is ordinarily compressed by the fingersso as to expel a good deal of the air from the bulb 20, which of coursecauses air to be expelled from the tube 11 and from cap just prior toengagement by the periphery 15 of the bulb with the open end 22 of thecap 20. As the end 15 of the bulb 14 engages the open end of the cap,there is a wiping of the liquid downwardly along the interior peripheryof the cap wall so that any liquid that might be present on the interiorperiphery of cap 20 adjacent its open end 22 is wiped downwardly intothe cap and is thereby prevented from dripping oif so as to allow liquidto engage the persons pocket or tool box wherein the device may be kept.It will also be understood that after the bulb is sealed to the cap wheninserted, the releasing of the fingers from the bulb 14 allows the bulb14 to expand and therefore a partial vacuum is created within the tube11 and cap 20 so as to minimize any possibility of additional liquidbeing allowed to escape from the cap after the tube and bulb areassembled therewith.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention which consists of the matterdescribed herein and set forth in the appended claims.

1. A portable, pocket-size apparatus for testing specific gravity of aliquid, comprising an elongate tube constructed of rigid, transparentand fracturable material of the nature of glass, said tube having openforward and rear ends permissive of fluid communications therethrough,said tube being sharply reduced in cross-sectional size adjacent saidforward end to produce an obstruction at the tube interior permissive offluid communication therethrough, said tube having an oblongcross-sectional configuration at said obstruction,

a resiliently flexible bulb having a generally straight sided open endencompassing and gripping the rear end of the tube in fluid-sealingrelation, said straight sided open end of the bulb having an outwardlyprotruding annular and resiliently compressible bead for-med therearoundand being disposed transversely outwardly of the rear end of the tube,said bulb being adapted for manual manipulation to effect drawing ofliquid and air into the tube and expulsion of the liquid and airtherefrom,

a plurality of balls in the tube of varying specific gravities wherebyto float and sink in liquids of different specific gravities when theliquid is drawn into the tube, said balls having a diametersubstantially less than the interior size of the tube, and having adiameter substantially greater than the size of the tube across thewidth of the oblong across section at said obstruction, said balls alsohaving a diameter considerably in excess of one-half the internal sizeof said tube and thereby prevent said balls from passing by one anotherwithin the tube and whereby the ball immediately adjacent saidobstruction will engage the tube at the oblong cross section at only twopoints to prevent jamming of the balls into a fixed position,

and an elongate cap constructed of stitf, impact-resisting material andhaving a closed end and an open end, the said cap having a tubularsidewall between said open and closed ends with an interior size toreceive the tube in loose fitting relation, the open end of said caphaving a cross-sectional size and configuration at least as large assaid tubular wall and receiving the straight sided inner end of the bulband the compressible bead therein in liquid sealing relation, said headand the open end of the cap maintaining the fracturable tubesubstantially centered within the cap and in closely spaced relationtherewith, said tube and bulb being removable from said cap for testingliquids and returnable into said cap to protect the tube againstbreakage and to confine the drippings of the liquid within the capinwardly wiping of the bead on the bulb periphery inwardly along the capand in liquid sealing and frictional relation therewith while the bulbis dipped and squeezed to eflect expulsion of all the liquid from thetube and create a fluid pressure of less than atmospheric within thetube and bulb to prevent outward migration of any liquid in the cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,530 3/1902 Comer l282.33766,204 8/1904 Walsh 128233 1,697,353 1/1929 Garrison 73-440 XR FOREIGNPATENTS 299,816 10/1928 Great Britain.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

DAVID SCHONBERG, Examiner.

D. O. WOODIEL, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PORTABLE, POCKET-SIZE APPARATUS FOR TESTING SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF ALIQUID, COMPRISING AN ELONGATE TUBE CONSTRUCTED OF RIGID, TRANSPARENTAND FRACTURABLE MATERIAL OF THE NATURE OF GLASS, SAID TUBE HAVING OPENFORWARD AND REAR ENDS PERMISSIVE OF FLUID COMMUNICATIONS THERETHROUGH,SAID TUBE BEING SHARPLY REDUCED IN CROSS-SECTIONAL SIZE ADJACENT SAIDFORWARD END TO PRODUCE AN OBSTRUCTION AT THE TUBE INTERIOR PERMISSIVE OFFLUID COMMUNICATION THERETHROUGH, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OBLONGCROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AT SAID OBSTRUCTION, A RESILIENTLYFLEXIBLE BULB HAVING A GENERALLY STRAIGHT SIDED OPEN END ENCOMPASSINGAND GRIPPING THE REAR END OF THE TUBE IN FLUID-SEALING RELATION, SAIDSTRAIGHT SIDED OPEN END OF THE BULB HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROTRUDINGANNULAR AND RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE BEAD FORMED THEREAROUND AND BEINGDISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OUTWARDLY OF THE REAR END OF THE TUBE, SAID BULBBEING ADAPTED FOR MANUAL MANIPULATION TO EFFECT DRAWING OF LIQUID ANDAIR INTO THE TUBE AND EXPULSION OF THE LIQUID AND AIR THEREFROM, APLURALITY OF BALLS IN THE TUBE OF VARYING SPECIFIC GRAVITIES WHEREBY TOFLOAT AND SINK IN LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES WHEN THELIQUID IS DRAWN INTO THE TUBE, SAID BALLS HAVING A DIAMETERSUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF THE TUBE, AND HAVING ADIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE SIZE OF THE TUBE ACROSS THEWIDTH OF THE OBLONG ACROSS SECTION AT SAID OBSTRUCTION, SAID BALLS ALSOHAVING A DIAMETER CONSIDERABLY IN EXCESS OF ONE-HALF THE INTERNAL SIZEOF SAID TUBE AND THEREBY PREVENT SAID BALLS FROM PASSING BY ONE ANOTHERWITHIN THE TUBE AND WHEREBY THE BALL IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAIDOBSTRUCTION WILL ENGAGE THE TUBE AT THE OBLONG CROSS SECTION AT ONLY TWOPOINTS TO PREVENT JAMMING OF THE BALLS INTO A FIXED POSITION,